Raven Feathers and Wide Hands:

04 – 08 – 25 / Day 2

(Special thanks to

Asteria Geisterblum

for the title.)

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The smoke was still levitating into the giant green leaves that hovered over the quiet village. The fire pit was nothing but small embers compared to the moonlight tearing through the gaps of the evergreen canopy. Large crickets lingered in the darkness of the brush that pushed its way into everything around them. Sleep settled heavily amongst the people that lay into wooden huts and protruding teepees. Except for two.

Raven Feathers and Wide Hands. They both slipped out of their beds like snakes sliding between grass. Silently they walked into the milky light that lit opposite sides of the village. They both agreed to meet when twilight brushed over the leaves.

They were reflections of each other – both of them crept along on light soles. Being careful as to cushion their movement with the soft parts in the ground. A night full of deep dreaming was known to take place after a ceremony. She and Him knew that. They needed more than dreams.

Raven Feathers was still thinking about his smile. The way it flashed at her through the orange gleam of the fire that lit up his face. His large but delicate hands that had moved her with ease around the pit. Her stomach fluttered up to her thumping heart as she avoided the lulling eyes of the night watchers. Most of them in a halfway daze from the dancing and smoke in the pow-wow.

Wide Hands felt like he was on the hunt. Well – in a way – he was. He just needed to blend into the dark. Then he could seize the night like it was his. Grab the moon if he had too. He liked that thought. He half smiled as he moved under a snoring spearman. Even through the sounds of the untamed wild, his heart beat over everything. A rhythm of adrenaline and excitement that drummed all the noise out except for his only thought. Her.

They were the shadows. They blended into the forest around them. They found each other at the third tree out of the western exit. A tree blanketed in vines that shimmered like it possessed a rainbow of scales.

Raven Feathers had reached the spot first, and hugged the tree with her back to the village itself. She let a cool breeze run along her cheeks as she let her eyes adjust to the new darkness ahead of her.

Wide Hands tiptoed through the long grass and saw her fingers wrapped around the trunk. His heart thrashed around even more. Thank the sun she was there. There was a small part of his brain that doubted she would appear. Probably ushered in from the coyote itself. He shook the trickster away from his thoughts.

Her hand recoiled away as she felt the warmth of his fingers. But she knew that soft touch – her head spun around to find him smiling with that toothy grin of his. Like he was the funniest being from mountain to sea. In a way – he was. She grinned back at him and whispered, “I should stab you for scaring me. Especially here.” He let out a hushed chuckle. “Oh please do so – right here.” He pointed at his heart with two fingers. The skin stretched along his pectoral muscle. She took a deep breath to restrain from swathing herself around him. Not tonight. She only asked him, “So what did you need to show me?”

“Oh my sunshine, first of all, I appreciate you coming.”

The darkness hid the blush from each other.

“Of course. It was a perfect night, why stop our own pow-wow?”

“For no reason in the world. Follow me. Step carefully.”

She followed him through an abundance of red ferns, viridescent spider plants, and dandelions that sprang from the cracks between roots. He looked back at her as the moonlight explored his large brown eyes.

“Don’t get too lost. Here–” He held out one of his hands. Raven Feathers grabbed it without thinking. Wide Hands grinned and spun his head back around. “Got to go quick my sunshine. Keep up.” He whisked her away.

Through the trees, through the leaves, through the bushes, grasses and down a small hill. The crickets and critters sung among their muffled giggles and playful words. “Hold on right here – look.” Wide Hands pointed through a cluster of thorns that spiraled into a peephole.

Raven Feathers’ eyes widened at the sight of the lake. It glowed like it was holding the moon’s fire. White and twinkling like it was filled with diamonds. Along the edge of the view were hanging twists of vines. They exploded with violet-touched flowers that wanted to kiss the water beneath them. “Oh my. . .” was all she could muster out to herself.

Wide Hands twisted his fingers together, rubbing them like they could be sharpened. She had said nothing for some time. Just staring into the tunnel he chopped up for her viewing. His mouth hung open for a moment, but the doubt sewed it shut as he waited patiently. Don’t ruin it, taper-nose. Just shutup. Let her take it in. He stopped twisting his fingers and smiled at the reflection of the sky in her raven colored hair. Brushed to perfection every day. Soft to the touch like a cotton tailed rabbit.

She turned around with sparkling tears in her eyes. “It – it is so beautiful.”

“I grabbed the moon for you.”

“Oh you truly did. I love it so much.”

“Let us go down.”

“Go down? Visit it?” The tears got sucked back up with her excitement.

“Shh – shh. Yes. Let’s go.” His grin glistened through the black shade from the leaves.

The walk down was short. Their pulses aligned through the clasp of their fingers.

Raven Feathers dipped a toe into the lake scattered with small lily pads. Cold to the touch. The chill ran up her leg and into her spine. Wide Hands already sunk himself to the waist and he caused tiny waves to roll over to her. It looked like he was splitting glass as he waded in up to his nipples. She inhaled a deep breath. Her tongue danced with the fumes of the forest. Damp wood. Waving leaves. Flowers dripping in a ripe sweetness. Her smile spread across her face and revealed a hidden dimple on her left cheek.

Wide Hands brushed water through his head as he saw her take in the scene slowly. That dimple only appeared when it was a fully stretched smile. He held in his small giggle as it appeared. He needed more of that. He needed it for the rest of his life.

“A swim, my sunshine?” She opened her eyes. Her unibrow furrowing.

“Turn around first–” Her finger made circles in the air.

He turned around and listened. The crumple of her buckskin tunic met his ears. His smile beamed as he dropped like a stone and beneath the surface.

Oh he wants to play that game? She dove in instantly. Meeting him face to face underneath the glassy water. Raven Feathers easily maneuvered around him. She was smaller, quicker, and knew how to glide like a fish.

Wide Hands made wide and obtuse movements. A kin to a whale, but even they swam better than him. They were made for it – Wide Hands was not. He finally turned and pushed off the shore towards her. Across the lake and among the lily pads.

Her face popped out of the water and formed a human one. She spit out some water and smiled. Her eyes closed again. Peace cradled her like how a newborn would be handled by a mother.

Wide Hands swam underneath her. Eyes closed. He did not stop until he reached the end of the lake. He popped out of the water, rubbing it from his face with his hands so he could get a sense of where he was. Further than he had expected. He hooked his arm around a stray root and watched her float along like she was a vibrant lily pad. She was – in a way. He took a few breaths for himself as his smile inched onto his cheeks yet again.

They swam together in silence. The type of silence that soothes the nerves. The silence that settles the bones. The only sounds around them were the chimes of the nocturnal animals that moved between the shadows as well as they had.

Wide Hands was on the shore before Raven Feathers. He sat watching her while the moon began to quell on their backs. It flickered through the vines that held the blooming violet petals.

He rolled his shoulders and slowly eased himself down onto the ground beneath him. The sky was still a dark purple. The stars were winking at him in a dazzle of blue, green, white, and red.

The sloshing of water crawled into his ears and he looked to the lake. Raven Feathers emerged bare and with the smile of a fox. She tiptoed over to Wide Hands as he sat up. She stood before him as their hearts rose into each other’s throats. Both of their brown eyes flashed with static, like they could grab the energy and summon a lightning bolt from the sky itself. Droplets of water rained onto the soil beneath her. Some of them fell onto his fingers.

He got onto both knees as he put his palms on her thighs. They looked at each other, her head craned over his like they were two flamingos in a dance.

Their lips met and the bolt of energy flared through both of their bodies. They kissed in front of the hanging purple petunias. They both said something small under each kiss. A lost whisper. A lost echo. A binding set of words that laced itself between hearts and minds. It was right. It had to be, They felt right. At that moment it was right.

(Excess Blood)